Welcome to FCD! (FanClub for Democrats).

[last1standing]

I never thought of the Democratic Party as a political version of American Idol but lately DU has shown me otherwise. Whether it's Caroline Kennedy, Howard Dean, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama many here want to focus on looks, style and poise over substance, policy or vision.

Honestly, I don't care about Joe Biden's puppy or Barack Obama's hypoallergenic dog.

I don't care if Caroline has grace and poise. I don't even care that her last name is Kennedy.

I don't care if Obama dolls outsell Tickle Me Elmos.

I don't care if Hillary's a carpetbagger.

And I don't care that Howard Dean makes you feel all squelchy inside.

Just a little hint to those still not getting it. We have millions of people unemployed and homeless. The foreclosure rates are through the roof and getting worse. We could easily lose another 3 million jobs within two months. An entire subgroup of American citizens are being denied their Constitutional rights. U.S. soldiers and innocent Iraqis are still being slaughtered in the name of oil. The environment is teetering on the edge of permanent destruction. Our infrastructure is crumbling, our schools are failing, and our place in the world has become a laughing stock.

With all these REAL issues going on does any of the bullshit matter? We have some fantastic leaders who are now going to have a chance to work on fixing the problems created by the last eight years of greed and corruption. Let's help them by talking about things that actually matter instead of arguing whether someone from a state we don't even live in is appointed to a senate seat or whether Obama or Dean is sexier.

Or has this site really become nothing more than a fanclub for Democrats?

[wyldwolf]

1. political stops on the internet have never been known for political substance

[patrice]

2. Is "squelchy" positive or negative?

Yes, too much time is wasted on BS, but part of what DU is about is people learning about other people and about a wide spectrum of perspectives.

[last1standing]

4. Squelchy is that 'special' feeling you get when you really, really like someone.

So it could be positive or negative depending on the situation. :)

I do agree with your comment on DU but it's just gotten out of hand lately. Real discussions are being drowned out by people posting the same damned thing 20 times so that it blocks out threads that actually try to talk about issues, not fluff.

When that happens, cranks like me will always post something like this in a misguided attempt to get more people to focus on what really matters. I know it won't work, but I just feel like I have to try. :(

[Jennicut]

5. Obama and Biden make me feel Squelchy but they would not make me feel

that way unless they had good policies and ideas. :)

[patrice]

6. I agree that we could be more productive. I always wonder, though, about doing

too much framing in Public, so I do have my local groups where some of the more serious work is going on, hence DU is kind of a party for me (though I do have certain things that I am serious about here too.)

[SIMPLYB1980]

3. With all that's going on in the world.

I think some people need those posts to keep their sanity. Can't be serious all the time.